Properties of Material

A material is any substance or mixture of substances that occupy a volume,
and has a mass. A substance usually refers to pure compound. Appearance,
behavior, name, structure, color, order, composition and any information
about a substance are properties of a material.

We most likely recognize a material by its appearance, sometimes aided
by other senses such as touch, smell, and taste. Our senses detect
some properties of a material, but we rely more on instruments and
tests of other properties for an objective identification and analysis.
Knowing the properties help us to develop the ability not only to
identify but also to determine the amount and composition of a material.

Furthermore, for purposes of management, application, and utilization,
we need to know how a material behave under a set of circumstances.
Thus, to help us characterize, recognize, manage, and utilize materials,
we need to know its properties.

In this unit of study, we raise your awareness as to what properties to
look for, where to find them, and how to make some senses out of a list
of properties. This unit is didvided in the following headings: